FORMER workers at HH Robertson have received over-whelming support in the town in the battle for their pension dues.

More than 1,500 signatures were collected in less than four weeks after cab driver Gary Woodward set the wheels in motion with a petition calling for justice.

But more signatures are still required, with Mr Woodward aiming for at least 2,000.

The battle began when the Cromwell Road steelworks closed seven years ago, with the loss of 200 jobs, and a £5m 'blackhole' was discovered in the company's pension fund.

As a result, some workers have been reduced to living on 25% of their entitlement.

Last month the Government announced a £400m rescue fund to make payments to workers whose pension funds had collapsed.

Though details of who will benefit are still being worked out by the Department for Work and Pensions, there has been speculation Robertson's case might fall outside the cut-off point for eligibility.

Pensions Minister Malcolm Wicks said current thinking was that financial assistance should cover schemes that began winding up after April 1997. The Robertson pension went insolvent on March 5 that year.

Mr Woodward said: 'The response to the petition has been fantastic. Many people have said that treatment of the workers has been outrageous and that they deserve to be included in the rescue fund.'